A Midwinter Night's Dream
by Cassie08
Summary: Ever wondered what Shakespeare would be like if Harry Potter characters were playing the roles? Now, you can find out! Laugh and see Shakespeare in a whole new light as the HP characters and classic OC's portray A Midsummer Night's Dream Hogwarts style!
1. Scene 1

Alex's POV

A light snow fell outside the black windowpane, as I sat in Dumbledore's office waiting while my father pace in front of me, Oliver, and Fred Weasley. 'God…why me?'

Oliver sat to my right, I couldn't help but glance apologetically at him every ten seconds, and Fred on my left, this was all his fault! Well, him and my prejudiced git father. Let me try to sum up how all of us ended up in the headmaster's office tonight. My father hates everyone, well, everyone who's not a British pureblood witch or wizard. Oliver, my boyfriend of the last two years, is Scottish (three guesses how my father feels about him). For some unknown reason to me and the rest of the world, Fred Weasley is obsessed with me, even though my best friend, Pyper, has been in love with him for the past year. The human race as a whole would be better off if Fred would look at Pyper and not me, so once again, I ask, 'God…why me?!'

"Young lady, you better start explaining -" My father began to yell.

"What's there to explain, Dad?! I love Oliver, the end!" I snapped back at him.

"Be silent, Alexandra!" He ordered, and then stopped his pacing, facing Dumbledore. "Fred, stand." My father said calmly. Fred stood without a second thought. "This young man has my blessing to be with my daughter. Wood, stand." Oliver hesitated a moment, glancing at me, but stood nonetheless. "This…" He paused a moment, trying to find a nice word to cal Oliver. "Boy has, in one way or another, cast a spell on her to win her heart."

"That's a lie, Professor." Oliver said firmly.

"Magic can't create love." I said, standing and looking at Dumbledore pleadingly, he hadn't said a word since this began. "Surely, at least you understand that, sir." Standing in between Oliver and Fred, I came, once again, to the realization of how short I was (they both towered over me). I hope my words wouldn't be thought as small as me.

"Alexandra!" My father shouted to stop me from saying any more. He remained facing the Headmaster. "If she," he pointed an accusing finger at me, "doesn't renounce this silly 'love' of hers, I'm removing her form Hogwarts, and enrolling her in Beauxbatons tomorrow!"

"No! You can't do that!" I yelled, glaring up at him.

"You have no right –" Oliver said, taking a step forward.

"Alexandra is still underage, I have _every _right." My father said smugly.

"Professor, please." I said, turning my attention back to Dumbledore. "I'll be seventeen in two months!"

"I am sorry, Alexandra." Dumbledore said, speaking for the first time. "But, until your seventeenth birthday, your father still has complete control over where you receive your education."

I shook my head slowly. 'God, why me?!' Oliver reached down and took my hand. I felt a hand on my left shoulder, I looked over at Fred, hoping he'd talk some sense into my father – I should have known better.

"Alex," Fred said gently. "Please, see reason. Just-"

I shrugged his hand off my shoulder and took a step closer to Oliver. "Reason? Since when did you even know the meaning of the word?" I asked venomously.

"Fred," Oliver said, glaring. I don't think I have to say it, but Quidditch had been a nightmare that year. "If you cared about Alex at all, you'd understand how she feels. Don't you think she should be able to make her own choice?"

"That's enough!" My father said. "The only choice Alexandra is making is whether or not these false feelings she has for you are worth her pain."

"That and my life." I answered, squeezing Oliver's hand.

"Then, this is your last night at Hogwarts."


	2. Scene 2

Pyper's POV

I walked around Hogwarts aimlessly, my journal clutched in my hands and eyes downcast. I was intent upon finding somewhere to sit down and write. M usual spot, the tree by the lake, was hardly an option in this weather.

My thoughts also dwelled on a tall redhead walking about somewhere in the school, no doubt chasing Alex about as he usually was.

My eyes teared up at the thought. The one boy I'd ever been head-over-heels for was infatuated with my best friend.

Thankfully, though, she was in love with Oliver, and wouldn't give Fred a second thought. Somehow, this didn't put him off, he jus pursued her even more avidly, turning me away every chance he got.

Alex had mentioned something of a meeting with Dumbledore earlier, a fact I remembered as I neared his office.

'Wonder how that went…' I thought.

Suddenly, the stone door to Dumbledore's office opened, and Fred stomped out, a scowl on his face.

My face lit up and I smiled at him. "Fred!" I exclaimed happily.

He took one look at me, and turned the other way, heading for a different route back to Gryffindor Tower.

No matter how many times this happened, I couldn't bring myself to bear it without tears. They rolled down my face as I clutched my journal tighter and stormed off up the nearest set of stairs, the Astronomy Tower.

I thought bitterly on my history with the twins as I went, sniffling angrily. I'd grown up with them, spending almost very summer together since before I could remember. Our parents were friends, and we had been as well, the best of friends, that's how I could tell them apart as easily as their mother could.

Everything had been perfect until I'd realized I was falling in love with Fred.

After that, he'd avoided me like the plague, pursuing Alex resentfully…

'Why does everything happen to me…' I thought venomously as I reached the tower door and shoved it open.


	3. Scene 3

Alex's POV

I rushed out of Dumbledore's office, both Oliver and Fred on my back. Thankfully, Dumbledore called Fred back as I let my feet lead me, Oliver still following, to the Astronomy Tower. By the time I reached the tower, Oliver was several yards behind me, I may be shorter, but I was faster.

Arms folded, I stood looking out the window. Oliver walked over to me slowly, probably worried about my bad mood. He wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his head on my shoulder, I felt warm despite the cold of the tower.

"I don't want to leave." I said after a long silence, I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, but I wouldn't let them fall. "It's not fair, I'll be seventeen in two months and that's close enough to being of age for me to able to stay here."

"I know, but they don't see it like that." Oliver said soothingly.

"Two months suddenly seems like an eternity."

We stood in silence again for a moment, and then Oliver stood up straight and gently turned me to face him, taking my hands in his. "What if we don't have to wait two months?!" He asked, unable to mask the excitement in his voice and the bright gleam in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not understanding where he was going with this.

"What if we left tonight? Me and you? We already have our spots on the Puddlemore United team lined up, we won't miss any training seeing as we won't be here for finals."

"Oliver, that's not until February, and besides, where would we stay?" I asked, a bit shocked that he was suggesting this, but anything was better than the alternative.

"With my parents, they love you and know my schoolwork is going nowhere."

"How are we supposed to get out of the school?"

"We'll just have to be careful, then I can disapparate us out of the forest." He said, smiling.

How had he come up with all of this so quickly? Did I honestly care? No.

I stared at him for a long moment, trying to decide if he was just trying to make me feel better or really being serious. I realized it was the latter. Going up on my tiptoes, I kissed him deeply.

"Oliver, you're mental, but –"

"C'mon, Alex –" He started arguing, but I put a finger over his lips.

"But," I continued, "I don't see another option if we want to stay together right now."

Oliver smiled brightly, lifted me off the ground, and spun me around.

And that's when the door flew open. Oliver quickly put me down and stood protectively in front of me. I stepped up next to him to see Pyper standing in the doorway, her journal held tightly in her grasp, and it looked like she had just finished crying.

'Damn Fred Weasley!'


	4. Scene 4

Pyper's POV

I wiped my eyes and looked up, meeting the eyes of Alex and Oliver.

'Damnit…' I thought. Alex was my best friend, but I just wasn't in the mood at the moment…

"Sorry." I mumbled, backing out of the doorway.

"Pyper, wait!" Alex called. "What's wrong?"

"Everything." I said simply. She knew very well what was wrong. We'd been friends our whole lives, but even if we hadn't, everyone in Hogwarts pretty much knew that if I was crying, it was because of Fred.

She had a knowing look in her eyes, but a cautious one as well. She knew I was touchy in these moods, and defensive.

"What do you mean by 'everything?'?" She asked hesitantly.

"Oh, I'm ugly and plain and Fred doesn't love me." I shrugged as though it were nothing, but could feel my eyes tearing up again.

"Oh, that's not true!" Alex said, coming toward me, pulling Oliver along with her. "You're very pretty!"

I backed away from her. "It doesn't matter, Fred likes the way you look, Alex. We all know that."

She looked a bit hurt at my spite, but when I apologized later, as I always did. She would say she understood, as she always would.

As quickly as it had come, her hurt countenance evaporated and she smiled.

"You won't have to worry about that anymore!" She smiled brightly.

"Oh?" I asked, unbelieving, glancing between she and Oliver with my sullen expression. "And why ever not?"

Oliver smiled down at Alex, and then turned to me. He and I got along well enough, but had never been particularly close friends. It was he who answered my question.

"We're leaving." He said. "Tonight."

I looked at him blankly, then at Alex. "You are? When did you decide this?"

"Only just now." Alex answered happily.

Somehow, even though I was upset about multiple things at the moment, I couldn't be happy about my best friend leaving. "Oh." was all I managed to get out.

Her smile faded again, and she put a hand on my shoulder. It was rather obvious that she and Oliver hadn't considered what and who they'd be leaving behind.

"Everything will work out in the end." She said, giving me an encouraging smile. "I'd better get back, Oliver." She turned to him. "Dearest Dad will be looking for me."

She kissed him briefly, and then waved at me as she left through the door.

I fell back on the wall, a sulky countenance infecting my features.

Oliver spoke to me again, apparently waiting a moment for Alex's dad to be surely gone.

"Good luck, Pyper. Just give it time. He can't be blind forever."

He smiled warmly, and then exited, leaving me –at last, alone with my thoughts.

"Oh, God." I moaned aloud. "Bloody hell!"


	5. Scene 5

Gryffindor Tower

"Ron, you have to do your homework!" Hermione yelled for the eighth time that evening.

"you're not the boss of me, Hermione!" Ron retorted, not looking up from the game of chess he and Harry were playing. "It's Friday, I'll do it on Sunday!"

Harry looked between his friends, wondering who would draw their wan first…his two best friends finally getting together had come with a price, quarrels worthy of a married couple.

"Will you stop playing that stupid game?!"

"No, I won't." Ron said, still not looking at her.

"Fine!" Hermione yelled, then stormed up the boys' stairs and into their dorm.

"She's mental! She went up the wrong stairs!" Ron rolled his eyes.

"I don't think so, mate." Harry said, pointing at the stairs. Hermione had jut come out of their dorm, looking smug, with Ron's broom in hand.

"Hermione, what the bloody h-" Ron started.

"I'm taking this until you finish your homework." She said, not stopping as she headed for the exit of the tower.

Ron stood up, his cars turning a bright red in anger, and chased after her.


	6. Scene 6

The Great Hall

Luna and Ginny sat in the Great Hall, eating dinner, Luna rambling away, as usual, about things that nobody else understood, and Ginny suffering from a damn awful headache.

She was using one hand to poke at her food, stabbing the broccoli each time Luna started up on another random bit of fluff and nonsense.

"…but Daddy says-_blah blah blah…_"

Ginny winced each time Luna's high serene voice entered into her head, pounding on her temple like a tempest's hammer.

"And that's only the beginning of the story of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack…"

Ginny slammed down her fork, and it clanged against her plat, making her head pound again.

"Luna, no offense, but I don't care, and there's no such thing as a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

"Oh, yes there is." Luna answered, smiling.

"No, Luna. There isn't…" Ginny repeated through gritted teeth.

"I can prove it to you." Luna said her high voice grating in Ginny's ear…again. "Would you like to see?"

"Not really…" Ginny mumbled.

"Tonight." Luna continued. "in the Forbidden Forest. I'll show you."

"Whatever!" Ginny stood, heading back to the Common Room, never guessing how serious Luna was.


	7. Scene 7

Pyper's POV

I spent close to half an hour in the tower staring blankly into space, wondering if Alex leaving would make Fred see reason, or pull one of those Romeo and Juliet things. I shuddered at the thought of the latter.

I sighed aloud, looking over at my journal lying on the cold stone next to where I sat, underneath the window with my back against the wall.

I laid my head back where it had been, I honestly didn't feel like writing.

On the other hand, going back to Gryffindor Tower meant possibly facing Fred, who would only inconspicuously disappear up the boys' stairs when he realized I was there, or possibly facing an empty common room, which could possibly be even more painful.

I groaned aloud and pulled myself to my feet, grabbing my journal and heading down the stairs, hoping that whichever of the painful experiences that was less painful would be the one awaiting me when I reached Gryffindor Tower.

As I turned into the corridor and began sulking my way down it, I heard the unmistakable cackle that could only signify Peeves' approach.

I was in too much of a dismal mood to care.

"Almost past curfew!! Almost past curfew!!" He howled. "Better walk faster! Better walk faster!!" And even as he began hurling water balloons my way, I paid him no mind and just kept walking.

"No fun! No fun!" He whined, and with one final balloon that finished soaking me head to toe, he whirled away to the next corridor and some other unsuspecting student that would provide him with a bit more entertainment.

I sighed aloud, squeezing out my ponytail and flipping open my journal to wave the pages around to try and dry them.

My shoes 'squish squished' as I walked, making the silent corridor seem loud. A single tear rolled down my cheek, mixing with the rest of the water dripping from my face and falling to the floor. It was actually a nice reprieve from shedding much more than one tear as I usually did.

'We used to be such good friends…' I thought as pages from the year before flashed past my eyes while the journal flipped. They described long, fun days with Fred and George, doing nothing, doing everything…and then, a bold line was drawn between then and now…and Fred and I did a different sort of nothing, the real nothing.

'Damn you, Alex…' I thought. 'You and Oliver will just run off and everything will be fine, will it?' I scoffed angrily. "Maybe for you…" I muttered aloud, and hung my head.

And then, it hit me.

My head snapped back up as I realized…

'If I tell Fred that Alex is leaving, he'll follow and try to stop her…"

I began pacing back and forth in the corridor, chewing my necklace (an old habit I couldn't seem to break).

'But they'll be leaving soon and he'll never catch them…they'll have apparated already…but if I can corner him, alone in the forest where he can't run away, surely I can reason with him…'

I stopped, and for the first time in a long time, a genuine smile spread over my face.

I had a plan, a crazy plan, but a plan.

And sometimes, the craziest plans were the only ones that worked.


	8. Scene 8

The Entrance Hall

"Hermione, wait!" Ron yelled as he came down the marble staircase.

Hermione turned to Ron, she was only a few feet away from the doors, perhaps he had come to his senses and was planning to do his work.

"Let's just walk about this. I've got the whole weekend to do my homework, there's no reason to hold my broom hostage." Ron said, taking careful steps toward her.

"Who said anything about holding it hostage?" Hermione said, opening the door and stepping out into the snowy night. "I'm hiding it in the forest." With that, she closed the door behind her.

"Bloody hell, who does she think-" Ron started, but stopped short when he got an idea. Over the past few months, since returning to Hogwarts, a rumor had started that Snape was working on a new love potion that actually created love, not simply obsession. It was said that you had to put it on your eyelids, and the first living thing you saw, you fell in love with. "I'll go steal a bit of that potion, then whatever she fall for, she'll be so wrapped up in it she won't worry about my broom, then I'll give her the cure later!"

"Why are you talking to yourself?" A passing first year asked.

"This is Shakespeare! Its call an 'aside' so the audience knows what I'm thinking!"

"Oh…"

Ron rolled his eyes and headed for the dungeons.


	9. Scene 9

Pyper's POV

Night fell on the Hogwarts grounds.

By way of note, I had anonymously informed Fred of Alex and Oliver's departure. And now, from my vantage point behind the biggest armchair in Gryffindor tower, I saw Fred sneak down the boys' stairs, bundled up against the cold, as I was, and slip through the portrait hole.

I stood, already in my warm, light green winter coat, gloves and hat in the pockets, and my wand in my jeans pocket. Carefully, I waited a few seconds, giving him time to get far enough ahead, and then followed through the portrait hole swiftly and silently.

I could hear his faint footsteps, always a corridor ahead of me, until we reached the great oak doors and pushed them silently open.

'He must really be in a hurry to not use the sixth passage…' I thought.

Back when he, George and I had been as thick as thieves, I'd learned along with them all the passages from the school. The sixth passage simply led out onto the grounds, but to a far corner a few hundred yards away from the forest, taking about five minutes longer than just using the front doors.

My heart sank…maybe it was wrong of me to do this…if Fred really loved Alex…

The selfish part of my heart screamed 'Noooooooo!!!' in protest, was it right?

'Well, even if he does love Alex, she doesn't love him. I'm helping him, aren't I?'

'Hmmm…' I thought. 'Maybe fate is on my side…

With that, I emerged from the stairway and followed Fred out the doors. He hadn't noticed my presence, even as I pulled the door he'd left open closed behind me. The frigid cold bit at my fingertips and nose, and I stopped to pull on my gloves, hat, and scarf. Fred continued on, either pretending not to notice me or genuinely unaware I was behind him.

I trudged through the snow, breathing hard as I ran to catch him. Finally, I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Fred!" I exclaimed. It had taken me until the forest to catch him, I noticed, as shadows passed over us while we entered the outskirts of the trees.

He didn't answer, only shrugged my hand off his shoulder, sighing in exasperation.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked angrily.

"Following you." I answered simply. "I want to talk to you…"

"I know!" He said venomously "You _always_ want to talk to me!" He turned, continuing his trek through the trees, searching in vain for Alex.

"What is your problem?!" I asked angrily. "What did I do wrong?!"

He shouted back over his shoulder, knowing I was still running behind him. "I don't love you, Pyper! It's as simple as that!"

I stopped a moment, breathing hard, down-hearted, strongly tempted to let him freeze to death and return to the castle and a warm fire.

'But I can't…' I thought. 'I love him.'

"Fred!" I yelled aloud, resuming the chase. "Fred, wait!"


	10. Scene 10

George's eyes snapped open as a noise resounded through the room. He didn't move, but could see through the hangings the silhouette of his twin brother, and plainly hear his whispered curses as he had obviously stubbed his toe on the nightstand.

Silently, George watched Fred leave the dorm room, disappearing down the stairs without a word.

'What the bloody hell is he up to?' George wondered.

He sat up, changing into a burgundy sweater and pulling on some jeans. He walked over to the window, just in time to see two figures run into the Dark Forest.

'Oh, well he won't be up to any mischief without me…' And with that thought, George grabbed his coat, hat, scarf, and gloves and traced his brother's footsteps out into the dark night.

For a moment, a pang of memory hit George, and he wished that Pyper were with him, going after his brother. She'd been his best friend (other than Fred) and he couldn't understand why his brother had to be such a git to her. If he didn't love her, fine, but did he have to shut her out?

But there was nothing he could do about it, no matter how many times he hounded Fred, so he walked on, trying to think of Pyper, even if she couldn't be there.

He was halfway across the grounds now, and he began to finger the new improved canary creams he and Fred had created that sat in his pocket from earlier that day. Now, instead of only lasting a minute, they lasted 24 hours, perfect for a bit of nasty revenge on a classmate.

Smiling to himself, he thought hopefully.

'Maybe I'll get to try them out now…'

He had a good feeling about tonight.


	11. Scene 11

In the Dark Forest

"Stupid Hermione." Ron mumbled for the tenth time. "Why the bloody hell did she have to some into this bloody forest?!"

Getting the love potions from Snape's office had been easier than Ron thought it would be. It seemed that Snape had been called up to Dumbledore's office for something or other and was in such a rush that he hadn't locked the door behind him.

Now all he had to do was find Hermione and –

"Stop following me!" Ron heard Fred yell close by.

"Damn it!" Ron mumbled, and then quickly climbed the nearest tree.

Enter Fred and Pyper

Fred stormed into the clearing a moment later with Pyper on his heels.

"But Fred, can't you see that Alex loves Oliver?" Pyper said. By the sound of it, they had been up to this for a while now.

Fred rolled his eyes and turned to face Pyper, looking annoyed. "Why are you following me? What reason have I given you to do it? I'm not nice to you anymore; I try to stay away from you if I can! So why?!"

"Fred, open your eyes!" Pyper said, taking a step toward him. "The entire school knows why, all of them except you!"

He took a step toward her and Pyper automatically took one step back, but it didn't stop there. Fred continued to move toward Pyper and she continued to move backward.

"Then enlighten me." Pyper held her ground now, and Fred leaned down as if to kiss her, then pulled back looking dead into her sad eyes. "I don't, and can't, love you."

Pyper took a page from Fred's book and took a step closer to him, causing him to retreat back a step with each of hers.

"I don't, and can't, believe you. Perhaps we're both blind, but at least we're blind together."

Fred stumbled over a fallen tree branch that was hidden under the snow. "If you won't leave me alone, then I'll leave you behind." He leaped to his feet and ran farther into the forest, and Pyper followed as fast as her legs would carry her.

With Ron

Ron dropped out of the tree, pleased that they hadn't noticed him.

"Poor Pyper, my brother's a git!" Ron said to the world at large. He looked down at the two vials of potion in his hand. "I know what I'll do!"

"Oi, Ron, are you doing another aside?" George asked, coming into the clearing. "You haven't seen Fred, have you?"

"Nope." Ron lied. "But I'm glad you're here. I need your help."

"With what?" George asked his younger brother, hoping it was something that he could make fun of him for.

"Well, you see, me and Hermione got in this fight and she took my broom, and now I have a plan to use this love potion of Snape's on her and use whatever she falls for to get my broom back, but there's also this problem with Fr-" Ron stopped, knowing George would never help him to help their brother to stop being so damn blind. "A Gryffindor that I know."

"What's the problem?" George asked, wishing Ron would hurry up.

"Well, there's this Gryffindor girl that's in love with a Gryffindor guy, but he doesn't love her back or he's just being stupid or something."

"So you want me to use some of that love potion on him?" George stated with a smirk.

"Exactly! All you have to do is place a small drop on each of his eyelids. Ron handed one of the vials to his older brother.

"Ok, potion on the eyes of a Gryffindor guy." George said, nodding, then headed off into the night.

"And now…for Hermione."


	12. Scene 12

Deep in the Forest

Hermione was headed right toward the den of spiders, or, at least she thought she was going the right way…After all, she had been petrified when Ron and Harry had come here in second year.

"I just can't believe him! Does he think that just because we're dating now, that I won't make him do his work?! Honestly!" She muttered angrily as she stormed onward. "He'll never come near the spiders to get his broom back; this'll teach him to listen to me!"

Ron crept along behind Hermione. It hadn't been hard to find her, she was shouting louder with every step. He didn't think that she even realized it. He had to get closer; he was only going to get one shot at this.

He moved closer, almost not worrying that she would hear him or feel that someone was following her, but Hermione was death to everything in her anger.

Ron drew his wand and took aim, "_Stupefy!"_

The red spell hit Hermione between her shoulders and she fell to the ground with a soft thud on the snow.

Ron walked quickly over to her and gently rolled her over, after all, he did still lover her, but he just wanted to make sure she understood that she wasn't the boss of him.

He unstopped the vial of love potion then dropped one drop on each of Hermione's eyelids.

"Sleep well, love." He whispered. "But when you wake, see some ugly beast to throw your love to, even if it's just for a while."

With that he stood, placing the stopper back on the remains of the potion, and left Hermione sleeping.

"Wonder if George has found Fred yet…"


	13. Scene 13

Somewhere in the Forest

Alex's POV

Oliver and I had been walking in the dark forest for well over an hour and a half.

I smiled up at him. "We're lost."

"No, we're not. We're still going south." He said, though he didn't seem sure.

"Shouldn't we be going west?" I asked, my smile growing. For some reason, the thought of being lost in the forest was funny to me at the moment, and being lost with Oliver when he wouldn't admit to being lost was even funnier.

He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. "Okay, we're lost."

"Well…what now?"

"I guess we'll just have to find somewhere to sleep until morning, and then we'll be able to find out way again."

"It's as good a plan as any at the moment." I said as I looked at our surroundings. A few yards to our left, I spotted a tree that's base had been dug out, leaving the roots to stand on their own and make a large cavern under the tree. "That looks safe and dry." I commented as I pointed it out to Oliver.

"Brilliant." He said, and then scooped me up in his arms, carrying me down under the tree.

The space beneath the tree was rather large and the dirt was dry, the tree also seemed to act as a necessary barrier from the colder night air.

Oliver sat me back on the ground and I laid the messenger bag with the few things I had brought with me in it on the ground to use as a pillow. Oliver pulled me close to him, warming me a bit against the cold, and kissed me softly, then deeper.

"Goodnight." He said softly when he pulled away. "I love you."

"I love you too. Night." I replied, smiling brightly. Oliver walked a few yards away from me and laid down, he understood that I liked my space when I slept, but just for an afternoon nap, he was a perfect pillow.

I lay down too and was soon asleep, amazing how being free and with the one I loved made the cold ground and chilly night seem like the best place to be.


	14. Scene 14

George trudged through the forest, the strange vial Ron had given him clutched tightly in his gloved hand.

"What is he on about…?" George wondered, casting another look over his shoulder back in the direction he'd come from. He shrugged, deciding he'd never understand his brother no matter how many weird looks he gave him…

He sighed aloud, his breath coming out in icy fog before him, feeling quite alone in the dead silence of the wintry forest.

Ahead of him, he saw a large tree, tall and hollow beneath the roots.

'Maybe I'll warm up a bit in there…' He thought, heading toward the colossal cave-like hollow beneath the roots.

He stepped inside and immediately felt warmer, and smiled as his skin tingled, coming un-numbed again…it took him a while to notice the two figures lying in there with him, and he did a double-take when he noticed Alex lying to his left.

He started to call her name, but then, he saw a snatch of movement in the corner of his eye, and discovered Oliver on his right, huddled against the cavern wall, breathing deeply in heavy sleep.

'A Gryffindor guy…' George recalled Ron's words.

For a moment, George was confused; Oliver was already in love with Alex, wasn't he? Well, how was he to know, they could have gotten in a huge fight or something, and Ron was just trying to help out. Yeah, that had to be what was going on.

George knelt down next to Oliver, removing his gloves and uncorking the vial. "Ron you git..." he muttered aloud, "why didn't you just say it was Oliver…"

He put a drop on his finger, dabbing it on Oliver's eyelids, feeling really awkward…

When he'd finished, he stood, swiping his hands together and shoving the vial down into his pocket.

"That should do the trick."

He put his gloves back on and looked between the two on the floor.

"Make up, now, you two." He said aloud. "And play nice."

With that, he left the cave, intent on finding Ron, or Fred, or whoever he came upon first, the thought that he'd just begun the misunderstanding of a lifetime never crossing his mind…

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the guiltless are always the guilty?

But anyway, to put it bluntly, hell was about to break loose.


	15. Scene 15

Pyper's POV

Pyper's POV

I was losing Fred as his much-longer legs gave him advantages I'd never had, carrying him swiftly through the trees. I was pretty tall, but not _that_ tall.

I stopped, bending over, breathing hard, watching him leave me behind with tears in my eyes. "Fine then!" I yelled angrily. "Leave me behind! I don't care anymore!"

I clutched the stitch in my side, gasping as I made my way over to a large tree and leaned against it.

'You're such a liar…' My heart told me.

'Yeah, I know.' I answered it.

I turned and banged my head on the tree a few times, groaning constantly.

'This…was…such…a…stupid…idea!' I thought angrily.

I turned around, finally able to breathe normally again, and noticed for the first time that there was a hollow space beneath the roots of the tree. I sighed aloud, maybe I would be able to rest there a while, then go back up to the school and forget this whole stupid thing.

I walked slowly down to the mouth of the opening, going in slowly, automatically noticing and liking the change of temperature. I wasn't paying any attention to my feet, so I cried out suddenly as I tripped over something. The sound echoed a bit in the cave, and I looked down to where I'd tripped to see two more feet, moving a bit as the sleeping person they were attached to stirred. I crawled around this person until I could see their face.

"Oliver?!" I exclaimed.

'Why are you still here?!' I wondered.

At my shouting his name, his eyes opened and he looked at me in a way he never had. It felt so…wrong.

"Pyper!" He said, smiling happily.

"Yes?" I asked uncertainly.

He stood, then pulled me to my feet as well, embracing me in a fond hug, pulling me as close to him as he could and kissing the top of my head.

"Er…Oliver?" I asked, my voice high and squeaky. "What are you doing?!"

"Oh, Pyper." He said softly. "I can't stand it anymore. I have to be with you."

I pushed him away. "What?! What are you talking about?! Where's Alex?"

"Does it matter?" Oliver asked, sneering. "You're here, that's all I care about."

My mouth hung open as I stared at him in disbelief, until I shook my head and put my hands over my face. "Stop it, Oliver, this is just wrong…"

"But, Pyper." He said, coming forward again. "I love you!"

I took my hands off of my face and stared at him in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

"I said I love you." He walked toward me as though to hug me, but I backed away, pointing my finger at him.

"Stop it. I know what you're doing."

"Only telling you the truth." He said, smiling at me, an unfamiliar sparkle in his eyes.

"No, you're making fun of me." I said simply, then turned to make my way back out into the snowy forest. "And I'm not standing for it."

I heard him following me and turned to yell at him. "Get over yourself, Oliver! You rude, selfish asshole of a git!"


	16. Scene 16

Alex's POV

Alex's POV

I sat straight up from some nightmare I had just had, but couldn't remember. I looked around our shelter, suddenly feeling alone, and realized that I was alone.

"Oliver?" I asked, hoping that he had just went out from under the tree for a moment. "Oliver?" I stood, starting to worry a bit. What if he'd went to check out some noise or other and one of the many creatures that called this forest home had attacked? After all, the creatures didn't like outsiders in their territory and we didn't know where we were. "Oliver?" I called again, holding onto one of the large tree roots to steady myself as I climbed up the small but steep bank.

He was nowhere in sight…

"…Oliver?"


	17. Scene 17

Luna, who had met Neville just as he'd remembered the password to Gryffindor Tower, now stood waiting for him to come back wit

Luna, who had met Neville just as he'd remembered the password to Gryffindor Tower, now stood waiting for him to come back with Ginny. She intended to prove to that narrow-minded girl that her dear Crumple Horned Snorkack existed.

The Portrait opened again, and there stood Ginny, looking irritable, Seamus and Dean within Luna's sightline behind her, and Neville standing there, his curiosity getting the better of his fear.

"Well, come along then, Ginny." Luna said brightly. "It's high time we were off!"

She turned and marched off, not giving Ginny a chance to refuse. She still seemed dumbfounded for a moment, but then, it was as if she woke up.

"Wait, Luna!" She heard Ginny's light footfalls as she approached, then she was at her side, a hand on Luna's shoulder as though she were speaking to a child. "You don't have to prove anything to me, I believe you!"

"No, that's all right." Luna said blissfully. "I want to show you!"

She walked on, Ginny persistently trying to turn her round, after all, wasn't this just the most ridiculous thing?

Neville had followed Ginny and Luna out of the portrait hole, and now tailed them, stuttering to try and make Luna see reason and let Ginny come back to the warm common room. After all, it was terribly cold outside and Ginny had an awful headache already…

Dean had immediately jumped up to follow Ginny as she left, this could be trouble, and he didn't want Ginny in trouble…

Seamus caught up to Dean and the lot just as they reached the Great Oak front doors. There were a lot of people to turn back, they obviously needed help.

Harry was just emerging from behind the tapestry of the back passageway when the Gryffindor group and Luna passed through the doors.

He'd been on his way to find Ron and Hermione, bring them to their senses, after all, it was the dead of winter, and they'd been gone for hours.

And now, the unorthodox group passed him by, and he ran to catch them.

"What's going on?" He hissed to Dean.

"Luna…" Was all he managed to pant out, and Harry had no choice but to follow as they too entered the forest, and Harry also had no choice but to run behind so as to have company, and wonder just how many people were in the forest on this dark and frigid night.

Neville panted along, now a few dozen paces behind everyone else. They'd been going for a solid hour now, and not only was he tired, but hungry and numb with cold.

"Guys…wait…up!" He gasped, but they'd finally outstripped him, disappearing in darkness and not noticing his absence.

Breathing hard, Neville wondered off the path, collapsing on a thick tree and immediately falling into a deep sleep, his loud snores echoing through the forest around him.


	18. Scene 18

George emerged from the thick of the trees and groaned. He was back on the path. Again. And the same part of the path he'd found what he was sure was a dozen times now. He grumbled his way out of the bushes and onto the stretch of treeless road and began heading in the direction of Hogwarts. After all, he'd seen no sign of Ron or Hermione, Oliver or Alex. Anyone really, and he was pretty sure the rest of the lunatics in this forest hadn't gone in as deep as he had…

His footsteps made no noise in the powdery snow, and the usual noises of the forest seemed muted around him, eerie silence to accompany his fast-growing foul mood.

He'd only been walking for a few minutes when he heard something…

Snoring?

George followed the sound weaving through only a few trees before coming upon Neville Longbottom, lying against a tree, sleeping sound as ever, mouth open slightly, though George was sure he had to be soaked through and freezing cold.

Kneeling down beside him, George reached out to shake him awake, shoving his other hand into his pocket…and stopped.

There they were.

The Canary Creams.

And here lay Neville.

The perfect test subject.

George slowly drew the small sugary candy from his pocket, looking at this, h e and Fred's prodigy.

He unwrapped it clumsily with his gloved fingers, and placed it precariously on the tip of Neville's tongue. The pure sugar bon bon had already begun to melt by the time George stood, smiling.

The usual lack-of-guilt in teasing Neville was still as present as ever as George walked away.

"Results to be observed tomorrow…" He muttered aloud.


	19. Scene 19

Luna, Ginny, Dean, Harry and Seamus walked aimlessly farther into the forest.

"Luna," Ginny said in an annoyed tone. "We've been out here for two hours and I haven't seen a Crumple Horned Snorkack."

"Yeah," Dean piped up. "It's freezing out here."

Luna continued walking, unfazed by their complaints. "It can't be much farther…" She mused in her dreamy tone.

Harry rolled his eyes, he'd come out here to find Ron and Hermione and now he was stuck making sure these four didn't get themselves killed.

"Can we please go back?!" Seamus pleaded. "Or at least stop for a moment?"

"Look, there's a clearing up ahead!" Ginny yelled happily.

As the group neared the clearing, they could see it was not empty. A large yellow bird stood near the center, wrapped in the arms of a girl with bushy brown hair. Hermione?!

"What the-" Harry said in disbelief.

"This is strange…" Luna said, stepping up next to Harry.

"Wait!" Ginny nearly yelled. "_You_ think this is strange?!"

"Of course." Luna replied, then turned and started skipping back toward the castle. "I think I'll go down to the kitchens and get some pudding."

"But-but what about the Crumple Horned Snorkack?!" Ginny asked, following Luna back, partly happy all that nonsense was over and partly frustrated that Luna had given up so easily after all that time.

Dean followed Ginny and Seamus followed Dean. Harry looked form Hermione, who hadn't noticed them, and the canary to the disappearing group. He shrugged to himself, and then followed the others out of the forest. The way he saw it, his life was complex enough without having to fight with a canary.


	20. Scene 20

Minute's Before

Minute's Before

Neville awoke with a start, he was cold and wet and yellow…wait, yellow?! He looked down at himself and saw not his body, but that of a huge yellow canary. He jumped to his feet, which were now thin bird claws, and started running as fast as they would carry him, yelling for help.

Hermione groaned as she began to wake up, she felt…different. She slowly sat up and looked around the clearing she was in, she blinked rapidly as a large yellow bird in Hogwarts robes ran toward her.

"Hermione! Thank God! Can you change me back?!" Neville asked, near panic now.

"Neville?!" Hermione asked, then threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, Neville!"

"Oh, Neville." Hermione sighed happily, not releasing the bright yellow bird from her crushing hold.

"Um…Hermione…is there…any way you could leg me go?" Neville cried between gasps of air.

"Sorry." She mumbled, a bit ashamed, after letting him go, she started stroking one of his wings.

This was a really weird night…first, Neville had lost the group, then, he had fallen asleep and the next thing he knew, he was a canary…again, and now Hermione was in love with him! Not that he was complaining much, but he'd have been happier if it was Ginny.

"Well…I should, you know, probably head back up to the castle to, ummm…get McGonagall to change me back to normal." Neville took a few steps away from Hermione and back toward the castle.

"No!" Hermione said, an angry edge to her voice now as she drew her wand and pointed at him. She cast the leg locker jinx on Neville and he fell to the snow-covered earth. She kneeled next to him and stroked his feathered face gently. "Stay here with me, my love."

Neville had to suppress a shudder.

This was going to be a long night…


	21. Scene 21

At last, George saw Ron ahead on the path he was walking. Finally!

"Ron!" He said, bounding up to him on his long legs.

Ron turned around, startled, and looking very placid and satisfied with himself. He smiled crookedly as George approached.

"You look rather pleased with yourself." George said.

Ron gave him a fleeting evil look, then it disappeared.

"Did you…do what I asked you to?" Ron asked awkwardly.

George nodded happily. "Yeah, I did."

Ron sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Good."

"Oh yeah." George said, suddenly remembering what he'd seen (he'd walked past a clearing in which he'd seen a large canary wrapped in Hermione's arms. Well, at least he knew the canary cream had worked). "Do you know that Hermione is in love with Neville?" He asked skeptically. "Who is, at the moment, a giant canary?"

Ron's eyes lit up, and he laughed aloud, putting a hand to his mouth. "Really?!"

George nodded, looking at his brother skeptically, rather confused. He had just opened his mouth to say something when Ron put a hand on his arm, silencing him as heavy footfalls approached through the trees. Ron gestured to the tree branches up above them, and George followed him up the tree.

They had just settled in the branches when a frustrated Alex and a desperate-looking Fred entered the clearing below them. They were fighting, as always.

Ron turned to George in the tree. "Where's Pyper at? I thought you were fixing this…"

At the same time, George spoke up. "What the hell happened to Alex? I thought I took care of this…"

Ron looked at George in horror. "What. Did. You. Do?"

"I put the potion on Oliver's eyes! Just like you asked!"

They had no choice but to watch the scene unfolding below, and wonder what was happening elsewhere in the forest, which was possibly much, much worse.


	22. Scene 22

"Stop following me!" I yelled at Fred for the ninth time. How I had the misfortune of losing Oliver and finding Fred the second I'd stepped out from under the tree I would never know.

"No, I'm not going to leave you alone in this terrible place. If that thickheaded git that you're dating had any-" He started, staying close to my head.

"Shut up!" I snapped. In the past half hour I'd been wondering around this damn forest with damn Weasley on my heels, my mind had started running wild. What if something had happened to Oliver?! I turned and faced Fred, I could almost feel the pleading shine out in my eyes. "If you knew where he was, would you tell me?"

Fred didn't answer, though he seemed to be weighing the pros and cons of lying to me.

I turned and stormed off again, the answer didn't matter to me anymore, just finding Oliver.

"Alex, wait." He said, catching my wrist in his grip before I'd gotten more than five steps away. "Can't you see that I love you?!"

"No more than you see that Pyper loves you!"

He ignored me and pressed on. "If Wood ever hurt you or made you cry-"

I jerked my wrist free of his grip and slapped him, all be it not hard given the state I was in, but still. "If you were half the man that Oliver is, you'd stop pursuing me and run to find Pyper." I turned on my heel and stormed off, thankful that Fred did not follow.

Fred sat down, resting his back against a tree. "She'll be back." He mumbled to himself. He rubbed the place Alex had slapped him, it didn't hurt, but he couldn't believe she'd done that. Despite himself, he was starting to worry about Pyper a bit, but he quickly cast that train of thought aside as his eyes fell shut.


	23. Scene 23

"George, you idiot1" Ron whisper-yelled at his brother as they dropped out of the tree and into the clearing where Fred lay sleeping.

"Hey, you just said a Gryffindor guy! Not my twin!" George retorted, folding his arms.

"Okay." Ron sighed. "Who did you put the potion on then?!"

"Well, you see, I came across Alex and Oliver sleeping and it looked like they'd just had a row or something…"

"Oliver?1 But if he didn't see Alex, then who did he see? Look, just go find Pyper. I've got to set this right." Ron said as his ears started to turn red, and not from the cold either…

"Whatever." George scoffed, but exited the clearing to go look for Pyper.

"Bloody hell. Must I do everything myself?!" Ron mumbled as he walked toward his other brother's sleeping form. He kneeled and carefully dropped a bit of the potion on to each of his eyelids, then stood again. "Fred, you git, you better fall for Pyper."

With that, he turned and climbed up one of the surrounding trees to make sure that George didn't screw this up anymore.


	24. Scene 24

Pyper's POV

Pyper's POV

Once again, the longer legs of my opponent hindered my escape, Oliver kept up with me easily, through every twist and turn I made through the trees, and though I shouted at him often to stop playing this awful joke.

"How can you even think I'm joking?!" He yelled, at last catching my arm in yet another clearing. "Do I look like I'm laughing?!"

"Oliver, stop!" I said, again ripping my arm away angrily. "You love Alex! You should be saying this to her! You've never loved me!"

"But I have, Pyper!" He shouted. "I love you so much!"

I walked toward him slowly, lowering my voice, trying to make him see reason. "How can you love both of us _that_ much? I've _head_ you, I've _seen_ you say the same thing to Alex, and you meant it."

"But I didn't understand love then! I didn't know what I was saying…"

I turned, heading away from him again.

"You don't know what you're saying now either, you dolt…"

"Fred is in love with Alex, Pyper, and he doesn't love you." He said loudly, as though it would stop me.

It did.

I turned back around to look at him, tears welling up in my eyes as I kept backing away from him, breathing hard. I wanted to say something back, but my throat felt tight…I just couldn't think…

I tripped, falling backwards and landing hard on he ground…again.

I looked at my feet angrily. I'd tripped over a person…again, and he was waking up.

"Pyper…" He said softly. "What are you doing here? You look beautiful…"

That person was…Fred?!

"Fred?" I asked softly. Had he hurt himself, hit his head?

"Yes, love? What is it?" He asked, reaching out to stroke my cheek.

I closed my eyes, sighing softly. This had to be a dream…

"Get away from her!" Oliver said indignantly, shoving Fred away from me. The two started fighting lightly to get to me, and I snapped out of my reverie, angry again as realization hit.

"Stop it!" I said, close to tears again. "You're both in on it! Is all of Hogwarts hell-bent to torture me tonight?! Do you all like rubbing it in my face that I'm alone?! Can't you just go back to hating me like you used to? Somehow, I think that was less painful…" I turned to leave again, intent on finding my way back to Hogwarts.

"No, Pyper, that's not true!" One of them yelled.

"Pyper, wait!" Yelled the other.

But I kept going, even as I heard them start to squabble again…


	25. Scene 25

Alex's POV

Alex's POV

I heard voiced in a clearing up ahead and ran in that direction. If it wasn't Oliver, then maybe someone there had seen him.

As I entered the clearing, I saw Pyper storming off and was about to go after her when I spotted Oliver and Fred fighting at the far end of the clearing.

"Oliver!" I said, running over to them, but he didn't pay any attention. "Oliver, love! Where did you go? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Why should I have stayed?" He asked, hardly even glancing at me.

"Something is wrong with you. Did Fred do this?!"

Fred finally wormed his way out of Oliver's grip and ran after Pyper.

Oliver straightened up and looked down at me, with anger in his eyes. "Why are you following me? Don't you know how much I hate you?!"

Tears welled up in my eyes at those words. Something had to be wrong with him! He'd never say he hated me…would he?

"No, that's not true…" I said weakly, my voice cracking.

Pyper's POV

I turned away from Fred, who'd caught up with me and entangled me in his arms. As soon as I'd wrenched myself away, and prepared to run the other direction, I caught sight of Oliver, who'd apparently been held up by Alex. They seemed to be conferring on something. Hell, it couldn't have been that hard for them to meet with Fred and plan this whole damn disaster.

"So." I said, walking toward her dangerously. "You're in on this as well."

Oliver turned his attention to me again, and ran at me. It didn't take long for he and Fred to start fighting again, so I devoted all my attention to Alex.

"You traitor! Have you planned this with them?! Doesn't it matter to you at all that I'm _supposed_ to be your best friend?! All the time we've spent together, everything we've told each other, didn't it mean _anything_ to you?!"

Alex looked shocked, as if she had nothing to say about this horrible trick she was playing on me…

"And are you really willing to throw all our friendship away just to have a little fun with these two _gits_?! Friends don't do that! No one does that! Everyone would be mad at you for it, but I'm the only one that's really deeply hurt!"

Alex mouthed soundlessly for a moment, then "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

I advanced on her again. "Oh, yes you do! And if you were any kind of decent friend with manners beyond that of a pit, you would never do this to anyone, much less me!"

I backed up, wiping a stray tear from my cheek and glaring at her.

"But find, just stay away from me. I guess it's my fault as well, but I'm leaving, so it doesn't matter anymore."

With that, I turned to go.

Alex's POV

I stared at Pyper for a moment longer. A trick? Why would I want to play a trick on her when the only thing I wanted was to escape from my father with Oliver?

Fred an Oliver had realized that Pyper was trying to get away again.

"Pyper, I love you!" Oliver said as he caught her wrist. "By my life, I do!"

"Oh, brilliant!" Pyper said, trying to get her head back, when Fred grabbed her other arm.

"I love you more than he ever could!" Fred said.

"Oliver, you've got to be joking!" I yelled desperately.

"Yes, and so do you!" Pyper called venomously at me. She finally jerked her arms free and stumbled back a few feet, then fell to the ground.

Fred followed her and kneeled down beside her quickly, but I stepped in front of Oliver to block Pyper from his view.

"I'm Alex. Remember? Why do you all of a sudden not love me?!"

Oliver pushed me as if I hadn't said anything and I followed him as he walked away again. He turned and looked down at me harshly again. "I never want to see you again!" He took a dangerous step toward me and I stepped back without thinking. "This is the truth, Alex, no joking I. Hate. You. I love Pyper."

My mouth moved soundlessly again. "Bloody hell." I squeaked. Tears started to freely run down my cheeks and I started shaking a bit. I pushed past Oliver. This wasn't his fault, how could it be? This had to be all Pyper's doing! She'd always been jealous that Oliver and I had such a happy relationship and that damn Fred was obsessed with me too.

"You!" I yelled, advancing on her. Fred, by now, had gotten her to her feet and was trying to check to see if she'd hurt herself. I hoped she had. After all that talk of 'friendship' Pyper had gone and done something like this! "You thief of love! After all that talk of friendship, you come here and steal Oliver's love from me?!"

"Okay. Whatever!" Pyper said, rolling her eyes. "Have you no shame? What?! Are you going to tear answers from my mouth?! You puppet!"

"Puppet? Oh, so we're going back to Shakespearean insult! Well, they only love you because you're tall. Because I'm so short and low! How low am I, you painted maypole?!" I glared at her, drew my wand, and held it at the ready. "Say something! How low am I?!" She backed away from Fred, from all of us, fear in her eyes. She knew that I knew more hexes and jinxes than half of Hogwarts put together.

Pyper's POV

Before I'd even had time to draw my wand, much less yell a spell, Alex had shouted "_Reducto!"_ and I was flying backward, the trees speeding by me in a blurry mass. I slammed into a snow bank, the wet, cold powder landing everywhere on and around me.

I resurfaced, coughing and spluttering, to see Alex stomping toward me for another go. Oliver and Fred were stumbling along behind her, still fighting each other.

Unfortunately, my bottom half was still avalanched beneath snow, and there was no way I was going to be able to get at my wand. I started trying to burrow our frantically as Alex approached a bit terrified.

I yelled out to Oliver and Fred.

"I don't care if you two are joking or not, don't let her do anything to me! Just because I'm _taller_ doesn't mean I can fight her like this!" I put emphasis on the word 'taller.'

"What did you say?!" Alex yelled. "Taller?!" She raised her wand again. "Say it again!"

"Alex, please!" I yelled. "Don't! Just let me go back to school! I don't want to be here anymore, I'll leave you alone!"

Alex paused a moment, thinking, then slowly lowered her wand arm. "Fine, then. Just go. No one's stopping you."

I had gotten my left leg out of the snow now. "Only my heart, which I plan on leaving here…"

"What? With _my_ Oliver?!" She raised her wand again, and I threw my arms up over my head.

"With Fred!"

At that second, Oliver, who'd made it there first, tackles Alex from behind, throwing her to the ground.

"I won't let her hurt you, Pyper!"

Fred, in passing, pushed Alex, who was on the verge of getting back up, back into the snow, and helped me the rest of the way out of the bank. "No. She won't touch you." He said as he led me past her.

"She was a _vixen_ years ago, before you ever met her." I said venomously. "And even though she's _little_…"

"Little?!" Alex yelled from underneath Oliver.

"…she's hex-happy and good at it!"

Alex's POV

"Little?!" I said, trying to fight my way out from under Oliver. I was still shocked that he'd tackled me, but my anger with Pyper seemed to eclipse that. "Little again! Is little all that I am now?!" I tried to move so I was looking Oliver in the eye, but he only tightened his hold on me, almost to the point of hurting me, and now the snow was starting to melt through my coat! "Why the hell are you protecting her?! Just let me out form under you!"

"So you can hurt Pyper?! No, she's right. You're little and hex happy!" Oliver said harshly. He stood, but when I tried to follow, he pushed me back down into the snow. He then turned to Pyper, looking quite proud of himself and said, "Now, she doesn't hold me. Fred, now it's time to see who'll hold Pyper." Oliver drew his wand slowly, as if it were a sword.

My eyes welled up with tears again, what had happened to my Oliver? He'd never showed anything more than friendship to Pyper and here he was ready to fight Fred, who'd also claimed to have been in "love" with me only half an hour ago, for her!

"What?!" Fred said, pulling Pyper protectively behind him and drawing his own wand. "No, I won't let you touch her!"

Oliver yelled some curse that I didn't hear and Fred dodged it, and then ran out of the clearing with Oliver close behind. They were out of my sight quickly, but I could see the flashes of light that were their spells in the darkness of the forest.

I glared up at Pyper, who looked a bit more than scared by the fact that she was alone with me now.

"You may be quicker when it comes to curses." She said, looking down at me. "But my legs are longer so I can run away!" With that, Pyper took off out of the clearing, true to her words, she was out of my sight before I had a chance to take good aim at her with my wand.

So there I sat, in the snow. Cold, alone, crying, and heart-broken.


	26. Scene 26

Ton paced in the clearing now That Alex had finally went off toward the school still crying, while his older brother, George, watched, waiting for him to say something.

"Look what you did!" Ron finally yelled. "How the bloody _hell_ did you – could you mess this up?!"

"Hey, this is your fault, little brother. You told me to put it in a Gryffindor guy's eyes and I did." George said, sounding like he didn't really care.

"Would you have done it if I told you to put it in Fred's eyes?!"

"Probably not."

"My point exactly." Ron stopped pacing. "Okay, there may be some hope of fixing this dilemma you've started."

"Again, it's not –"

"Shut it and listen carefully." Ron snapped. He pulled two small vials of a white-ish liquid out of his robe and handed one to George. "This is the cure. I stole it too so I could use it on Hermione. Stun all four of them and then put some of this on Wood's eyes. Do you understand? Wood's eyes."

"Stun 'em and cure Wood. Got it." George said.

"And I think it's time to let Hermione free too."

"Whatever." George headed off in the direction that Oliver and Fred had run in. Hopefully, they wouldn't be randomly shooting hexes at this point…


	27. Scene 27

George made his way through the forest yet again, still mumbling rather loudly to himself all the reasons this wasn't his fault. He could hear both Oliver and Fred plowing through the snow and branches in pursuit of each other, no doubt going in hopeless circles.

'Oh well…' he thought. 'Makes my job that much easier, doesn't it?'

He could hear them yelling at each other now, and just through the trees up ahead, he caught a glimpse of Fred's coat.

He crouched low, approaching quieter than he thought himself capable.

Fred turned round frantically, it seemed like he heard branches cracking everywhere.

"Where are you, Oliver?!" He growled angrily. "Come out and fight like a man, before I –"

He hadn't even heard George shout the stunning spell.

Ironically enough, George found that they were back at the tree with the hollowed-out roots. It seemed to somehow be the center of everything. He drug Fred in, leaving him resting his head on a rock as he went out to get the others.

Oliver had lost sight of Fred, but he wasn't giving up that easily.

"You can't hide forever, Fred! Show yourself!" He had his wand at the ready, he wouldn't let Fred surprise –

And then everything was black.

Oliver somehow seemed heavier than Fred, though George was very likely just tired. How long had they been out here?!

'Oh well…' he thought for the second times. 'The girls will be lighter.'

He trudged back out into the snow.

'Damn you, Ron, you bossy toerag…' He thought bitterly.

Alex's POV

'Maybe this won't be so bad…' I thought as I trudged through the snow back in the direction I thought Hogwarts was in. 'Daddy dearest will be happy with me for once.' I wiped a stray tear from my eye before it could freeze to my cheek.

All I really wanted to do was find Oliver and knock some sense into him or find out what had happened to him, but what if nothing had? Maybe he really didn't love me anymore…more accursed tears started to fall from my eyes at that thought. Perhaps being away from Oliver would help his heart heal…if that was even possible.

The snow started to fall again and I folded my arms tightly across my chest to try and stay warmer in my cold wet clothes.

And then there was nothing but darkness as I fell unconscious.

Alex was easy to carry, which was good since she'd been considerably farther from the tree than Oliver and Fred.

He sat her down beside Oliver and turned her toward him, so they'd be sure to see each other when they woke up.

This time, there would be no mistakes.

Pyper's POV

I had been running for what felt like ages, though it was obvious that Alex was no longer following me.

'I don't care…' I thought. 'I want out of this!'

I was slowing down though, exhausted and hungry and cold and dirty and wet.

I didn't make it much farther. A spell hit me right in the back and I flew face-first into the snow…again.


	28. Scene 28

It had taken longer to find Hermione than Ron had thought. George had been right, she looked like she was in love with Neville seeing as she was fast asleep on a huge canary's shoulder.

"Bloody hell, why did I do this?" He asked himself as he leaned over Hermione's sleeping form and placed a drop of the cure potion on each of her eyes. After a few moments of letting his courage build up, Ron gently shook her awake.

Hermione blinked a few times. "Ron? What's going on? Why are we in the forest?" She then caught sight of the large yellow bird sleeping next to her. "What the –"

Ron leaned down and kissed Hermione deeply, cutting off her last question. "I'll explain everything…someday, but for now, let's get you back up to the castle, and warm you up."

"Okay, but one question, why was I asleep on a canary?"

Slowly, Ron helped her to her feet. "Actually, that's Neville, and I really don't know."

"Neville?!" Hermione said as Ron led her away. "Tell me how I came to be here this night."


	29. Scene 29

George put Pyper down next to Fred lightly, then stood, wiping his brow, though the icy cold made it impossible to sweat an ounce.

He drew the cure Ron had given him from his pocket, and walked over to Oliver, kneeling beside him for the second time hat night. He dropped the liquid onto Oliver's eyes with his fingers, and once again moved he and Alex closer to one another, ensuring that they would see no one else when their eyes opened.

He stood again, breathing out as he slipped the small vial back into his pocket. "Well. He clapped his hands together. "That's that."

HE turned to leave, passing Fred and Pyper as well. He stopped, looking down at them, would she really be happy with simulated love? He knew her…and she wouldn't.

Sighing, he knelt and draped Fred's arm over Pyper's shoulder, wishing them all the best as he (finally) headed back to Hogwarts.


	30. Scene 30

As Ron and Hermione traveled back toward Hogwarts, they passed a huge tree with its roots sticking out and creating a cave-like place sheltered from the cold night.

"Ron, why don't we stop and rest, the sun is nearly up and I hardly slept at all tonight." Hermione said, pulling Ron toward the tree.

"Whatever you say, love." Ron replied, but they both were shocked to find that the cave was already full.

"Hey, isn't that Fred and…Pyper? And look, there's Alex and Oliver as well." Hermione swiftly drew her wand and said a spell that Ron didn't know, then a loud sound like thunder reverberated under the tree and the four sleeping Gryffindors began to stir.

Alex's POV

I blinked a few times as I woke up and was more than a bit shocked that Oliver was the first and only thing I saw.

His eyes opened slowly and he smiled at me. Had all that I went through last night been a dream? But how had Oliver and I ended up so close to each other?

I sat up, confused as I looked around and saw that we were still under the tree. Ron and Hermione stood staring down at us and on the other side of the hollow, Fred and Pyper were waking up. They started talking quietly, not paying attention to the rest of us.

I jumped when Oliver placed a hand on the small of my back. "Alex, are you all right?"

"Maybe. I – I had the weirdest dream…" I replied slowly.

Oliver stared at me for a moment. "I had a weird dream too." He leaned forward and kissed me lightly, cautiously. "It's over now, though." Finally, I smiled back at him. Yes, maybe it was just a dream.

Hermione cleared her throat loudly and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fred and Pyper pull away from a kiss they had been sharing, and Ron smiling at them smugly. "Could we possibly go back to Hogwarts now, that is, if you lot are done snogging."

We all exchanged glances, then got to our feet.

"Let's get the hell out of here." I heard Fred mumbled as he took Pyper's hand.

I couldn't agree more.


	31. Scene 31

Scene 31

Dumbledore and Snape stood at the window of the Headmaster's office, watching seven little dots return from the Forbidden Forest in the distance.

Snape slowly began speaking, though he didn't bother turning to face Dumbledore. "Should we perhaps send someone after the Longbottom boy?"

"No." Dumbledore answered. "He'll be awake soon and be fully aware of his need to return, his sense of direction a little better thanks to his being a canary."

Snape breathed out slowly, still looking at the early morning mist setting in.

Dumbledore, with a small twinkle in his eye, turning and walked to his desk, taking his seat behind it and entwining his long bony fingers. "I do worry, Severus, if the potion will have any lasting effect on the children?"

"None whatsoever," Snape answered placidly, walking over to take the seat opposite Dumbledore. "I never could quite get the formula right. It wears off after only a few hours. Doubtless, they are already free of their little endorphin rushes."

Dumbledore smiled to himself, once again seeming to know something everyone else didn't.

"What is it, Headmaster?" Snape asked, knowing that look all too well.

"Oh, nothing."

Dumbledore took a licorice snap and popped it into his mouth.

"I just so delight in incidences where fate intervenes for the better."

Snape scoffed, finding it hard to believe that anything ever intervened for the better.

Dumbledore look at him over the rims of his half-moon spectacles, as though reading his mind. He would never realize the good that had come of the previous night, because of a little disobedience, luck, and a potion Severus had believed a failure, all of which he credited to fate.

"It happens every day, Severus." He said softly, wisely. "Every day."


	32. Scene 32

Piper's POV

That night, I descended the girls' stairs in a long flowing bergundy gown. I'd had it for months, just in case Fred had come round or I'd decided to go alone. Frankly, I'd never believed that either would happen.

Fred stood waiting at the bottom of the stairs, smiling up at me, and I had a strong urge to look behind me and see if Alex was there. I knew, though, that she was already in the Great Hall.

I smiled back at him, blushing and feeling my heart beat out of my chest.

But something deep inside, bothering me, caused my smile to falter a bit, though it was still there.

I'd finally reached the bottom of the stairs, and Fred held out his hand, taking mine and kissing it lightly. "You're beautiful."

I hesitated a moment. "..thank you."

He looked at me worriedly. "Something the matter?"

I stared up into his eyes, trying to recall how they had looked the night before, when he'd spouted off the word 'love' without a second thought. Had they looked different? "Tell me you love me."

Fred looked down at me, placing his hand on my cheek. I placed mine over his as he began to speak.

"I love you, Piper Halloway. And I know you, better than anyone else, don't think I've forgotten. I know what you're thinking, whatever it was that happened last night..." he let out a breath, we hadn't spoken of the previous night before this moment, "I still can't decide if it was real or not...but I needed it."

I looked at him in confusion, gripping his hand tighter.

"I didn't really love Alex," he said finally, putting his forehead to mine. "I convinced myself I loved her, so I wouldn't have to admit that I was in love with you."

I swallowed hard, stroking the hand that still lay on my cheek with my thumb and closing my eyes.

"I was afraid to lose one of my best friends, but being away from you was so much worse, and I'm sorry for what I did to you. I love you."

"I love you, too," I said as I pulled away, and then kissed him lightly.

He smiled at me again, and then held out his arm. I took it, and he led me to the stairs.

"So..." I said, as we headed for the Great Hall. "Assuming that dream...maybe wasn't a dream, how do I...how do you...know that all that isn't the Potion talking?" I smiled at my feet, already half knowing the answer.

"It was never the Potion, it was always me talking. And it's me now."

Then he stopped and kissed me, right at the top of the Grand Staircase, and I never had to wonder again. Dream or not, that Midwinter's night changed our lives. For the better.

The End


End file.
